Vegetable oils are used as milk fat replacers in cheese production to alter sensory, nutritional profile, and to produce cholesterol free or low-cost cheeses. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of palm oil usage on kashar cheese’s physicochemical, textural and sensorial quality characteristics during ripening. The results showed that replacement of milk fat with palm oil was not statistically significant in terms of moisture, salt, fat content, and titratable acidity. β-sitosterol content, which is a marker of vegetable oil addition in cheese, was found in the detectable range by chromatographic analysis for the palm oil added samples (PO). Hardness, chewiness, and gumminess values were significantly affected by the palm oil replacement and also during the ripening period of 90 days. Changes in L* values were apparent during ripening and the brightness of the PO groups was lower than that of the control group. Higher sensorial scores for PO indicated that palm oil usage may not be noticeable by the consumers. The overall results provide essential information, demonstrating that cost-saving palm oil can be successfully used in kashar cheese production where the milk fat replacement did not alter the physicochemical, textural and sensorial quality characteristics.
展开▼
